The Best Way to Clean Limestone Steps

Natural stones, including limestone, enrich your home's landscape with elegance and subtle variations in patina, but they can be tricky to clean. Since harsh cleaners will eat through porous limestone, the best cleaning process incorporates gentle but effective cleaning agents.

Preparation

Don't use acidic cleaners on limestone.

Sweep your limestone steps to remove dirt and sand, getting them as debris-free as possible. To simplify cleaning, wipe up spills when they happen, before they soak into the stone. If they soak in, they may stain the limestone.

Warnings

To protect your limestone steps, avoid cleansers with vinegar, lemon or other acids. Stay away from abrasive cleaners that may erode stone. The World Floor Covering Association recommends castile soap or a similar mild soap for cleaning limestone.

Process

Once you have swept the stairs, prepare a bucket of 1 gallon warm water and 1 tbsp. castile soap. Mop the limestone steps with this mixture to clean them, then go back over the steps with a dry mop to sop up extra liquid and prevent streaks as the stairs dry.